Who we are and ethos
The Wildlife Survey Unit is an ecological consultancy that was formed in 2009. We have a reputation for providing high quality survey, reporting and advice.
All staff and subcontractors who work for the company are members of CIEEM and abide by it’s code of professional conduct. This ensures clients can be confident that the ecological surveys and reporting that they commission meet the highest standards in the industry.
We are ground breaking in terms of our carbon balancing of the daily activities of the ecological consultancy, so that our surveys and activities do not negatively affect the planet’s carbon budget. We are the only ecology company in Scotland using electric vehicles for our day to day survey work. We have an environmental policy that ensures we reduce our ecological footprint to the absolute minimum possible.
Our fieldwork throughout the Highlands is in an area with very few biological records, we ensure our surveys contribute to the knowledge of the area. Our bat survey work has pushed north the known breeding range of Daubenton’s and Brown Long-eared bat to the north coast of Sutherland.
All reports produced for planning, as well as recommending ways of ensuring legal compliance through the development process also include ways of increasing biodiversity net gain. This ensures the clients have a simple, easy to understand measures to increase biodiversity.
All staff and subcontractors who work for the company are members of CIEEM and abide by it’s code of professional conduct. This ensures clients can be confident that the ecological surveys and reporting that they commission meet the highest standards in the industry.
We are ground breaking in terms of our carbon balancing of the daily activities of the ecological consultancy, so that our surveys and activities do not negatively affect the planet’s carbon budget. We are the only ecology company in Scotland using electric vehicles for our day to day survey work. We have an environmental policy that ensures we reduce our ecological footprint to the absolute minimum possible.
Our fieldwork throughout the Highlands is in an area with very few biological records, we ensure our surveys contribute to the knowledge of the area. Our bat survey work has pushed north the known breeding range of Daubenton’s and Brown Long-eared bat to the north coast of Sutherland.
All reports produced for planning, as well as recommending ways of ensuring legal compliance through the development process also include ways of increasing biodiversity net gain. This ensures the clients have a simple, easy to understand measures to increase biodiversity.
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Company Director - Peter Stronach
Peter is a terrestrial and marine ecologist with a specialism in ornithology. He is heavily involved in biological recording in the Highlands, being the former bird recorder for the Highland recording area and active with the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms project. He created a website for ornithology in the Highlands (www.highlandbirds.scot), promoting it's study in the region and increasing interest within the population. He has discovered two new bird species for the Western Palearctic (Blue Grosbeak and Mourning Warbler), and been involved in the finding of a new breeding species for the Western Palearctic (Golden Nightjar), and found new species for the Highlands (Dusky Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit, Hume's Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff and Pallid Swift). |
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Field Ornithologist - Matt Broadbent
Matt is an experienced ornithologist, well known in the birding community. Academically he studied at the University of Exeter, firstly gaining a BSc (Hons) in Zoology (1st), before going on to complete a MSc in Conservation and Biodiversity. He has excellent bird identification skills, developed through previous roles at Birdguides Ltd, Fair Isle Bird observatory and at Aigas Field Centre. In his role he regularly undertakes breeding bird surveys using standard methodologies such as Brown and Shepherd, Vantage Point Watches and species-specific surveys for protected raptors and grouse in Scotland. |
What we do
We provide the following services to our clients:
The developments we have previously worked on have included onshore and offshore wind farms, road schemes, pipelines, hydro-electric schemes, military developments, rail schemes and housing developments.
- Baseline ecological survey for protected species and habitats
- Ecological survey reports
- Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA's)
- European Protected Species Licensing
- Ecological Clerk of Works (ECOW)
- GIS and AutoCAD
- Management Plans
- Mitigation and enhancement
The developments we have previously worked on have included onshore and offshore wind farms, road schemes, pipelines, hydro-electric schemes, military developments, rail schemes and housing developments.